Tua by decision. Mercer wouldn't be boxing and running from Tua as that wasn't his style, as such Tua would have the ability to display the workrate he showed against Ibeabuchi. Neither man is really hurting the other in this one.
Prime Mercer is almost an oxymoron. if there was ever a more inconsistent, underachieving heavyweight than Riddick Bowe, it was Mercer. That said, he is a much better boxer than Tua. It would just be a matter of whether or not he'd fight a full 10 (or 12) round fight, or fall apart after the midway point. This being mythical, I'll take the absolute best version of Mercer to outpoint Tua. Based on what they've actually achieved... I'd be inclined to take Tua, riding a 2nd half rally en route to a close and perhaps controversial split decision.
Yeah, that's pretty much the reason why I made this thread. It is easy to see Tua from the Ibeabuchi fight to defeat the laz Mercer of Ferguson fight. However considering the trouble Tua had with Izon, Maskaev and even Jeff Wooden it is easy to see Mercer outpointing that. Personally I'd pick Tua, but it could go either way really
if it was in a regular non-title affair, then tua wins. if it was for a vacant title or some sort of an eliminator, then tua either chokes or shows up overweight and loses a close decision.
Neither one of them ever won a major belt, and both were good enough to have. Both were wastes. As was Golota, who also had the talent to win a belt. Still the biggest waste in heavyweight history has gotta be Ike. People might say that Tyson, and Bowe were wastes, and its true. But at least those two were at some point undisputed kings of the division.
Most of boxing is full of wastes. Guys with enormous talent who never did sh*t. Perhaps because even the tiniest bit of fame got to their heads.:dunno:
